Chapter 187
Houcheng, Navy
Su Yibai and other new recruits were incorporated into Houcheng's navy and became part of the navy.
As soon as they entered the military camp, they began non-stop training.
Many soldiers were not used to water combat and became dizzy and vomited after being tormented by the simulated water battle.
"vomit……"
"I'm going to vomit to death."
"No, no, I'm seasick."
Su Yibai emerged from the water and managed to stand firm. He saw their naval general Ji Ze coming onto the boat and kicking each of the soldiers lying on the deck. "Get up, everyone!"
"Remember this, we are Youzhou's only navy! You don't want to lose to the cavalry, infantry, heavy infantry, and other branches, right?"
The shirtless sailors climbed up one by one, holding their breath, they certainly didn't want to lose!
"It doesn't matter if you can't stand steadily or if you get seasick, just practice hard! No one is born with a certain skill. For example, aren't cavalrymen born with the ability to ride? No, they also learn through repeated practice."
"You've eaten so many good things, but if you don't train yourself to be a decent person, who are you going to be worthy of? Think about your past, and think about your present. You've been given such a good opportunity, and if you cowardly give it up, your parents and relatives will look down on you!"
It's better to encourage than to persuade. This applies everywhere, especially in the military camp. How can a soldier not have some blood? After Ji Ze's call, everyone had only one thought left: practice! Must practice! As long as you don't die from practicing, practice until you die!
Plop—plop—
Every sound was the sound of soldiers jumping into the water and splashing their feet. No one complained anymore, as everyone was holding their breath.
After training for a morning, all the sailors dragged their tired bodies to the cafeteria.
The young soldier asked his friend, "What are we having for lunch today?"
Su Yibai was listening on the side. After training for a whole morning, he felt so hungry that his chest was sticking to his back.
"Do you even need to ask? Today is the ninth day of the lunar year. Eat pig liver or carrots."
When the soldier heard this, he howled, "I hate eating pig liver the most!"
But before he could finish howling, he was kicked in the butt. Fortunately, his lower body was stable enough, otherwise he would have fallen flat on his face.
The veteran who kicked him said with disdain, "You're being pretentious! Why didn't you ever complain about the food when it was so bad before?"
After kicking the man, the veteran said to Su Yibai, "Su kid, don't follow his example. He's being pretentious again. He doesn't know how many people out there want to eat these two dishes but can't!"
Su Yibai nodded. To be honest, he had eaten fried pork liver once after coming to the navy camp, and the fried pork liver tasted very delicious.
"By the way, Brother Hou, why is there a mandatory menu in the military camp?" Su Yibai asked curiously.
The veteran soldier surnamed Hou was like a big brother, treating the new recruits like his own juniors. Even though Su Yibai and he were both captains of a thousand men, he patiently explained, "I heard that animal liver and carrots can replenish certain scarce nutrients in our bodies and thus cure our night blindness. That's why our Yichun Corps barracks have this mandatory diet."
Su Yibai was puzzled. Many people couldn't see at night, but as far as he knew, only a handful of people he knew could see at night. So, was this inability to see at night a medical condition? Or was it something that could be cured?
Hearing his question, the veteran sighed, patted his shoulder and said, "That's not true. Night blindness is just a disease. It can be cured by eating more animal liver and carrots. As far as I know, many soldiers who insist on eating these two dishes can see at night again."
To treat the soldiers' night blindness, Yao Chunnuan included liver and carrot recipes in the barracks' menu. The latter was brought back from the border by caravans, along with cotton. It could be said that the livers of all the pigs, cattle, and sheep slaughtered daily in Youzhou were strictly supplied to the barracks.
The common people outside the city learned about the benefits of these two dishes and wanted to make some for their children. They didn't mind their nighttime blindness; they were used to it, but their children were still young. Now that a cure was possible, they couldn't bear to let them suffer the same fate. However, the production of these two ingredients was still low, so they had to prioritize supplying the military.
After hearing the people's demands, the City Lord's Mansion also promised to solve the problem of insufficient supply of animal livers and carrots as soon as possible.
The navy's training was still intensive. In fact, it wasn't just the navy; the training of the other branches of the military was also very demanding.
The training is very intense, and everyone is wondering whether Youzhou is going to use foreign troops?
In fact, the soldiers guessed correctly that Yichun was planning to use military force against foreign countries.
The City Lord's Office's intelligence department had been closely monitoring the evolving situation in the Central Plains. By analyzing various data, troop movements, and casualties, they concluded that the King of Annan could not hold out for much longer under General Fan Ye's attack.
Just as everyone in Yichun guessed, the King of Annan realized that the situation was not good, and sent people to Yichun to test the waters. He said that he could bring his old subordinates and treasures to join them, and even donate half of the treasures, but he demanded the same treatment as Marshal Zhu Fugui, now and in the future.
Marshal Zhu, no, now he is called General Zhu, after hearing the news, he stopped watching the show and ran from the Zhu Mansion to the City Lord's Mansion without saying a word.
In front of the city lord and Yao Chunnuan, he criticized King Annan.
Isn't it just relying on the title of King of Annan? Isn't it relying on the rebellion? With 20,000 or 30,000 private soldiers and a few boxes of treasure, you think you can be on equal footing with him? What a joke! Who knows how much of those boxes of treasure will be left by the time they reach Yichun? After all, he came with 70,000 or 80,000 soldiers! Did he have that many soldiers to surrender?
Seeing General Zhu jumping up and down, Yao Chunnuan suppressed a laugh and said, "Well, the King of Annan said that he would donate half of his treasure to us. As a king of a different surname, he must have accumulated a lot of wealth over the years."
Yao Chunnuan's point was simple: the Annan King clearly lacked troops but made up for it with treasure. The Huo family's army was similarly weak, with marriages often necessary. Everyone was desperately trying to gain a foothold in Yichun.
General Zhu hurriedly said, "Master Yao, don't be fooled by his sweet words. I admit that he is a king of a different surname and has probably accumulated a lot of wealth. But think about it, if he raises an army now, won't he spend his own money?"
"Recruiting soldiers and buying horses is expensive. Starting an army is like a money-eating beast. We in Yichun also started an army. No one knows better than you how much money it costs to maintain an army. How much money will he have left after a year of rebellion?"
"General Zhu, I admit you have a point, but we also have to consider the practical issues, right? We've recruited over 100,000 new soldiers this year, plus the Huo family army has 400,000 to 500,000 soldiers. We just resettled nearly a million disaster victims a few days ago. Money is needed everywhere these days. Also, our Yichun Corps now has five branches, and each branch requires different equipment. For example, the infantry battalion needs special boots, the cavalry battalion needs good horses, the heavy infantry battalion needs special armor and shields, and the navy needs large ships. These are all huge expenses."
"Although our Yichun is rich, we are a bit stretched at the moment. No matter how much treasure the King of Annan has left, just because he said he was willing to donate half, we have to think about it. Even a small amount is still meat." Yao Chunnuan looked helpless.
Zhu Fugui gritted his teeth and slammed his palm on the table. "King Annan wants to donate half of the treasure he brought with him, right? I'll donate 800,000 taels of silver to our City Lord's Mansion! I have only one request: he can come to Yichun, but he's not allowed to be on equal footing with me. Well, he must always be inferior to me!" Humph, King Annan wants the same treatment as him? He refuses! Isn't it just donating silver? Who wouldn't know how to do that?
After he shouted this, his heart was actually bleeding and it hurt so much!
Yao Chunnuan asked, "Is this true? General Zhu, you don't have to force yourself. It will be the same if we accept the treasures from the King of Annan."
"No, I'm not forcing you at all! I donated this willingly." No wonder, his heart ached. A treasure trove was gone. He wanted to leave, he wanted to go home. Of the three treasure troves, two were lost to the little girl Yao in front of him, leaving him with only one.
Yao Chunming pondered for a moment and said, "General Zhu, consider this 800,000 taels of silver a loan from the City Lord's Mansion. I'll write you a receipt shortly. We'll agree to your request. We'll pay it back in ten years, with 10% interest per year. How do you do that?"
In reality, Yao Chunnuan had no intention of agreeing to the King of Annan's terms. The reason was simple: there couldn't be two tigers on the same mountain, unless they were a male and a female. The King of Annan wasn't one to submit to anyone. Previously, he and the general had been part of the rebellion, and even initially, his power had overwhelmed the Yichun forces. His surrender now, though temporary, didn't guarantee permanent submission. What he could offer wasn't commensurate with the potential trouble.
After hearing this, Zhu Fugui felt better.
But he still refused. "No, I said donate, I donate!" The King of Annan had said he was donating treasure. If he borrowed, wouldn't that be inferior to him? He wouldn't have the nerve to ask for it. Besides, although he donated 800,000 taels, he received a lot of dividends and benefits from the City Lord's Mansion every year. If he saved for a few years, maybe a dozen years, he could make up for it.
"Alright, Lord City Lord and I, on behalf of the City Lord's Mansion and the people of Youzhou, thank you for your generous donation." Yao Chunnuan said this, then turned to Xing Changfeng, "Lord City Lord, I think our City Lord's Mansion must put this matter on a red notice! Let the people of Youzhou and the Yichun Army know about our General Zhu's dedication and his noble character! And General Zhu's action must be engraved on our Yichun Merit List!"
Xing Changfeng nodded, "That's how it should be."
Zhu Fugui grinned and said, "It doesn't matter. Even if I lost my money, it's not bad to gain fame and reputation."
As soon as his name was engraved on the red list of merits in the Yichun City Lord's Mansion, the common people praised him highly.
With the arrival of the 800,000 taels of silver donated by Zhu Fugui, and at the suggestion of Yao Chunnuan, the general waved his hand and added more dishes to the camps of the Yichun Legion.
When the soldiers heard the reason for the extra dish, their impression of General Zhu improved. Only his confidants and close generals looked skeptical. Later, when they learned the reason, they were also at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
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